Rail joint



Feb. 2, 1932. R. FARIES 1,843,448

RAIL JOiNT Filed Jan. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2, 1932. r R. FARIES 1,843,443

RAIL JOINT Filed Jan.'l8, 1930 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 2, 1932 ROBERT reruns, or sun. DAVIDS, rnuNsYnvAmA RAIL JOINT Application fild January 18, 1930. Serial No. 421,828.

My invention relates to the rail joints of railroad rails with particular reference to the splice joint bars thereof.

A purpose of my invention is to secure a resilience of engagement between splice bars and rails in a joint of the character indicated.

A further purpose is to vertically outwardly bow the middle of a joint ar so that its head and heel portions resiliently press apart when the track bolts of the joint are tightened thereby maintaining resilience in the engagements between the upper and lower sides of the bar and the adjacent rail flanges.

A further purpose is to accommodate differences in the contours of the adjacent rail ends of a rail joint by high resilience in the joint bars, adapting the joint bar to variant deflection to fit the variant rail contours, the capability of variant lateral resilience resulting in a capability also of longitudinal flexibility corresponding to it.

A further purpose is to additionally support the portion of an outwardly bowed splice bar that is intermediate successive track bolts by means of plates clamped on the outside of the bar by the track bolts and desirably horizontally inwardly bowing the auxiliary plates at the middle so as to transmit the pressure of the bolts to the intermediate portion of the bar.

A further purpose is to use at the rail ends a convexly bowed plate upon the outside of joint bars in order to maintain strongest engagement between the joint bar and the upper and lower flanges of the rail at the rail ends.

A further purpose is to permit adjustment of the fit of splice bars beneath adjoining rail ends to accommodate differences in rail contours, whether the accommodation be by longitudinal fiexure in lateral planes or by variant transverse flexure in vertical planes.

Further purposes will appear in the specification and in the claims.

I have elected to show a few only of the many forms of my invention, selecting forms that are practical and eflicient in operation and which well illustrate the principles involved.

' Figures 1 to l are vertical sections through tion taken upon the line 88 of Figure 7 to enlarged scale.

Figure 9 is a View corresponding to Figure 8 but showing a slightly different form- Figure 10 is a section taken upon the line 1010 of Figure 9.

Figure 10a is a cross section of a modified form.

Figures 11 and 12 are longitudinal sections of slightly different forms of washer plates that embody one desirable feature of my invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all figures.

Describing in illustration and not in limitation and referring to the drawings One of the principal features of my invention is directed to a vertical outward bowing of the web of a joint bar with respect to its head and foot portions making the bar of resilient material and giving it a vertical bow section so that the tightening of the track bolts that hold the joint bars to place upon the rail tends to straighten out the vertical bow thereby exerting great upward and downward resilient pressures respectively against head and foot portions of the rail.

In Figure 1 I show the joint bars 15 and. 16 clamped to place upon opposite sides of a rail 17 by a track bolt 18 and have given the intermediate portion of the "splice bars a vertical outward bow at 19 presenting head and foot portions 20 and 21 against the bottom of the rail heads and top of the foot flange of the rail respectively.

1 preferably cylindrically or spherically curve the bearing surfaces at 22 and 23 between the splice bars and nut and head of the bolt to permit angular movement of the joint bar with respect to the bolt without any meterial changing of the line of pressure exerted by the bdlt upon the splice bars.

In the form shown in Figure 1 the heels 24 of the joint bars are presented against the foot of the rail web 25 while the head portions 26 of the bars are shown spaced somewhat outwardly at 27 from the top of the rail web which permits the rail to wear gradually inwardly at the top during service, the splice bars pivoting about their heel portions at the foot of the rail web each time the track bolts are tightened, with a small angular change in the positions of the bars with respect to the bolt.

in the form shown in Figure 2 the'head of the oint bar is resting against the top of the rail web so that the angular movement of the joint bars during service is aboutthe top of the bar head as a pivot at 28 in Figure 2 while in r igure 1 such angular movement will be about the heel as already described.

As illustrated in Figure 3 I may make the head and foot portions of the bars seat either initially or after a considerable period of service against top and bottom portions 29 and 30 of the rail web and in this event there is no further angular movement of the rail joint bars with respect to the bolt incident to continued wear of service, the vertical wear at the bearing surfaces being taken up by a widening of the bar incident to the straightening out of the bowing of the bar by tightening of the bolts.

In the form shown in Figure 4 both ends of the bars are initially spaced outwardly from the rail web and may gradually work inward to the rail web during service to the position shown in Figure 3.

It will be seen that in the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4: there is less need -for any cylindrical or spherical curving of the hearing surfaces 31 and 32 between the bolt and joint bar members in that there will be normally no an ular movement between the joint bars and the bolts, and for this reason l show the surfaces 33 and 34 presented respectively by the bolt head and bolt nut t the outside of the joint bar fiat.

l have however, shown the outwardly presented surface of the oint bars curved which will permit small angular movements of the joint bar with respect to the bolt without any very material shifting of the line of bolt pressure.

It will be seen that in all of the forms shown the tightening of the bolts will tend to straighten out the vertical bowing of the joint bars. thereby vertically widening the joint bars and exerting a resilient force against the head and foot port-ions of the rail.

1 find it sometimes desirable to increase the resilient strength of the joint bars against outward deflection, particularly at and near the rail ends and l have illustrated auxiliary outside supports in Figures 5 to 12 inclusive.

In Figures 5 to 8 ll provide plate members 35 clamped to the outside of the splice bars by the bolts 36 and 37 adjacent the rail ends 38 and 39.

The plates 35 are preferably horizontally inwardly bowed at the middle at 4.0 so as to engage the splice bars most strongly opposite the rail ends which is midway between the bolts 36 and 37, the bowed plates straightening out as the bolts are tightened, the pressure between the plates and splice bars thus progressively increasing from the bolts to the rail ends.

It will be understood that the maximum relative movement of the rails is at the extreme rail ends and that the place or" maximum wear is therefore at the rail ends and I thus provide means for maintaining strong resilient engagement between the joint bars and the rail ends by these bowed washer auxiliary plates, which desirably have a consid erable bowing and an adaptation to resilient deflection without receiving permanent strain. The lateral pressure thus attainable performs two functions, both helpful in fitting variant or changing rail head and flange contours. The one is the lateral bending effect exerted upon the bars in their entireties where dill'ercnce in rail contours would otherwise prevent coinpletc fitting of the bars against the heads and flanges respectively. lhe other, more local, lies in the transverse straightening of the bowed splice bar sections. Qf course both of these movements are very minute as differences in distances in volved are measured in hundreds and thousands of inches.

@ne very desirable feature is the reliei it affords the track bolts adjacent the rail ends from peak strains which it take up automatically in the resilient bows presented by the splice bar and also by the outside auxiliary plates.

The above mentioned benefit as well as the other benefits of my invention are applicable without regard to the length-of the joint, i. e., to the number of bolts included within the joint length. The showing of six bolts is therefore not to be considered as indicating the need of any specific number.

While I usually find it sufficient to apply auxiliary external support to the joint bars at the rail ends only I may in certain circumstances find it desirable to extend the external plate supports for the length of the bars and illustrate this in Figures 9 and 10.

The plates 41 and 42 are clamped by the track bolts upon the outside of the splice bars, extending for the length of the bars, thereby providing an outer limit for the resilient outward expansion of the bowed bars without interfering with an adaptation for the bars to resilient contact inwardly in response to momentary rail deflection permitting such inward deflections. They also proexert a longitudinal flexing pressure upon the 1 splice bars in their entirety as well as transverse lateral straightening pressure at the individual bolts. Both of these effects will be accentuated by the use of the supplemental plates 40 shown in Figures 8, 11 and 12.

I show in Figures 11 and 12 two of a number of different transverse contours that may be given the short auxiliary external supporting plates 35.

Figure 11 shows the preferred form where the engagement surface between elongated bolt openings 43 is outwardly bowed at 44 in order to present a bow portion opposite the rail ends, while in the modified form of Figure 12 I have outwardly bowed both sides of the auxiliary plate, which adapts the plate to be used equally well with either side against the splice bar.

The elongation of the bolt holes in the supporting plates permits the plates to be shifted so as at will to bring'additional pressure opposite the ends of either of the rails as distinguished from pressure exactly between them. This permits accommodation of the splice bars to rails of different e., effectively smaller) contour than the ad]oin ing rail.

A desirable feature of m invention includes the adaptation of the oint to the special form of bridge tie plate 45 shown in Figures 5 to 7 inclusive.

This tie plate bridges the ties 46 and 47 and presents an upwardly directed seat 48 to receive and fit the bottom and sides of the rail flanges and has its sides bending upwardly and outwardly at 4'9 and 50 respectively between the ties in order to at once strengthenthe plate vertically and to stiffen it laterally intermediate the ties.

The curvature of the plates shown in Figures 11 and 12 is greatly exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. They can be used in either of two ways, either to localize opposite the rail ends or at any point desired, to accommodate to differing rail contours, for instance, as high a pressure as can safely be exerted without collapse of the bridge formed by the curved web or can be applied to give a slightly greater pressure at the middle of the curved faces than at the ends but with the springing of the metal, to bring pressure against the web throughout the entire lengths of the plates 35.

In the full length supporting form of Figures 9 and 10 as well as in the short length supporting form shown in Figures 5 to 8 the intention is particularly to avoid danger of transverse collapse of the splice bars from excessive localization of the transverse strains from the bolts which, as will be recognized can be taken care of by either of several different means. Y

The reinforcing or 'pressure distributing plates 35 can be made as resilient or as rigid as may be desired, to bend into ultimate complete length contact with the splice bars or to maintain their shape. In either casethey may engage the inner faces ofrthe flanges of the splice bars, as at 51, to support'these splice bar flanges additionally against the head and flange of the rail,.or to free the splice bar flanges as preferred. Additional stiifness may be given by forming the reinforcing plate of channel section, as seen in Figure 10a. A channel is shown at 42. The splice bars can be made thick enough to avoid all risk of collapse, slightly reduc ing the resilience in transverse planes, or the strain of the bolts can be distributed over the splice bars to bring the pressure upon the splice bars mainly at a point or at points where the splice bars are not weakened by bolt holes or to distribute the pressure over a sufficient length of splice bars to act upon the splice bar length much as a washer acts upon the metal about a bolt hole. Both the alteration of the point of main pressure and distribution of the pressure over a considerable length cooperate with the splice bar to permit the use of a weaker and therefore more resilient splice bar than could otherwise be used.

Because of the stiffness given to the rail flanges or by the underlying plate there is almost no bodily downward yield of the rail; with the result that whatever downward movement of the rail head takes place must take place by reason of the bend of the head above the splice bars and the transverse resilience of the splice bars.

The forms shown in Figures 1 and 2, familiarly called base free and head free joints respectively, and the forms shown in Figures 3 and 4 where the splice bars engage both fillets and neither fillet respectively are intended for illustrations only of the wide variety of types of joints to which my invention might be applied and are notintended to be taken restrictively as indicating that the invention is applicable to these forms 1 only.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore,elaim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rail joint, a resilient splice bar comprising head and foot portions along opposite sides of the bar, a transversely out- ,wardly bowing web between the head and foot portions, a plate upon the outside of the bar along the bow thereof and bolts through the plate, bar and rail near opposite ends of the plate clamping the plate, bar and rail together.

2. In a rail joint, a resilient splice bar comprising head and foot portions along opposite sides of the bar, a transversely outwardly bowing web between the head and foot portions, a plate upon the outside of the bar along the bow thereof and bolts through the plate, bar and rail near opposite ends of the plate clamping the plate, bar and rail together, the plate overlapping both rail sections of the joint and thebolts being in different rail sections near the adjoining ends thereof.

3. In a rail joint, a resilient splice bar con1- prising head and foot portions along opposite sides of the bar, a transversely outward ly bowing web between the head and "foot portions, 21 plate upon the outside of the bar along the bow thereof and bolts through the plate, bar and rail near opposite ends of the plate clamping the plate, bar and rail together, the plate overlapping both rail sec tions of the joint, the bolts being in difierent rail sections near the adjoining ends thereof and the plate bowing longitudinally outwardly toward the bolts.

4. in a rail joint, a resilient splice bar comprising head and foot portions along opposite sides of the bar, a transversely outwardly bowing web intermediate the head and foot portions, a plate on the outside of the bar along the bow thereof and bolts near opposite ends of the plate through the plate, bar and rail clamping the plate, bar and rail together, the plate overlapping both rails of the joint, the bolts being in different rails near the adjoining ends thereof, and the plate until the bolts are tightened resiliently bowing longitudinally outwardly toward the bolts.

5. In a rail joint, alined rail sections to be joined, a splice bar against the rail sections bowing outwardly along the middle portion of the bar, a plate along the outside of the bar engr ging the bar along the bow thereof and bolts clamping the plate, bar and rail together.

6. In a rail joint, a pair of rails meeting end to end, splice bars on opposite sides of the joint having capability of movement inwardly at the tops beneath the head toward the web and having transverse splice bar sections curved outwardly away from the webs and bolt means for clamping the splice bars together, utilizing the spring reaction due to straightening the curve of the transverse splice bar to resiliently take up wear between the splice bars and the head.

7. In a rail joint, two rails end to end, splice bars on opposite sides of the rails having enlarged sections at top and bottom and intermediate outwardly curved resilient sections, one of the sections of each being socketed against the ends of the rail web section and bolts tightening thevintermediate sections of the splice bars toward the Web and tending to swing the splice bars about their socketed sections.

8. In a rail joint, a pair of rails meeting end to end, splice bars on opposite sides of the rails having upper and lower enlarged sections, the upper sections pivoting against the curves between the rail heads and rail webs and the lower sections being spaced from the curves between the rail flanges and rail webs and the intermediate portions of the splice bars being resilient and outwardly bowed away from the rail web and bolts adapted to tighten the resilient intermediate portions of the splice bars toward the rail n to turn the splice bars about their sccle portions,

In a rail joint, a pair of rail ends, splice bars on opposite sides of the rail ends having their lower portions socketed in the curves between the rail flanges and rail webs, their upper portions spaced from the curves between the rail heads and rail webs and their intermediate portions resilient and bowed away from the rail webs and bolts adapted to spring the intermediate portions of the splice bars toward the rail webs and to turn the splice bars about their socketed lower portions.

10. in a rail joint, a pair of rails end to end, splice bars on opposite sides of the rails socketed along one portion of each splice bar against a curve of the rail terminating the rail web and free to turn toward the web about the socketed portion, the intermediate section of each. splice bar being resilient and bowed away from the web, )lates outside of the splice bars adapted to distribute bolt pressure along the surfaces of the bowed portions of the splice bars and bolts passing through the plates and splice bars and adapted to tighten the plates against the splice bars.

11. in a rail joint abutting rail ends, resilient splice bars on opposite sides of the rails across the rail ends, bolts passing through the rails and splice bars, and plates outside of the splice bars and beneath the bolts having contact with the splice bars through a portion of the length of the plates only and longitudinally adjustable to vary the points at which the engagements with the splice bars take place.

12. In a rail joint, a pair of rails, a splice bar on one side of both rails having a resilient web, a plate convex toward the web adapted to engage the splice bar at difierent points ac cording to the longitudinal adjustment of the plate and bolts through the plate, splice bar and rail on opposite sides lengthwise of the point ofengagement of the plate with the splice bar. 0

13. In a rail joint, a pair of adjoining rail ends in combination with head free joint bars on opposite sides of the rail ends, the adjoining bars being transversely bowed and thin enough to be transversely resilient and bolts for springing the intermediate sections of the splice bars.

14. In a railjoint, a pair of adjoining rail ends in combination with head free joint bars on opposite sides of the rail ends, the adjoining bars being transversely bowed and thin enough to be transversely and longitudinally resilient and bolts for springing the intermediate sections of the splice bars.

15. In a rail joint, adjoining rail ends, base free splice bars transversely bowed away from the rail webs and transversely resilient and bolts for partially straightening out the intermediate sections against the spring of the splice bars.

16. In a rail joint, adjoining rail ends,'base free splice bars transversely bowed away from the rail webs and transversely and longitudinally resilient and bolts for partially straightening out the intermediate sections against the spring of the splice bars.

17. A rail joint comprising adjoining rail ends, transversely resilient splice bars on op posite sides of the rail ends, bolts passing through the splice bars and washers for the bolts engaging the splice bars between adjoining bolts to there apply the bolt pressure.

ROBERT FARIES, 

